Save our Goan lands from the goons
The story ‘It doesn’t matter if you are dead or alive: Our Goa land is being sold under your nose’ (Herald, May 28,) is an eye opener for every Goan. As Goans where are our rights gone; are our Goan youth not entitled for government jobs? Our Goans are working out so that they can give the best for their families and because they are far away from their mother land that does not mean some outsiders goons come and grab their lands and properties.
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Is this how we Goans should be treated? When we Goans go to a Government office to do some official work we middle class Goans are literally made to run up and down. And this outsider goons are quickly obliged. Our chief minister has bestowed special knighthood on them and they are called the bhumiputras. We are Goans and Goa belongs to us but now the situation is so bad that the outsiders or so called bhumiputras are at the centre and we Goans are side cornered. With no time Goa will be grabbed by goons or outsiders and we Goans will be the spectators.
Anita Fernandes, Verna
Bandodkar Trophy: Golden or gold plated?
As far as Bandodkar Gold Trophy is concerned all that glitters is not gold. In 70’s when Bandodkar Gold Trophy Tournament was conducted it was told that this Bandodkar Gold Trophy is 11kgs of gold and its value was Rs20 lakh that time. This trophy was kept in a paid bank locker. And whenever the tournament was being held this gold Trophy was brought from the locker to the venue only on the day of the finals with full police escort.
The Trophy was displayed but nobody was allowed to even touch the trophy. After the finals a replica was handed over to winners and gold Trophy was taken back to the bank locker again with police escort. This was the practice at all the Bandodkar Gold Trophy Tournament held so far. Now it’s learnt that in 2016 the same trophy was taken out of the bank locker without the police escort. Unofficially a gold Smith was summoned to check the trophy and its value. Everybody was shocked to hear what the gold smith was saying. He disclosed that the trophy is not golden but gold plated. So now many questions arise.
Why was the trophy taken out of the locker without police escort as it was the practice followed every time? Where is the gold gone? Or is this the replica and the real gold Trophy is given to the last winners by mistake? Why the trophy is kept now in the Goa Football Association’s store room? A very strict and thorough investigation is the need of the hour and then only all the above questions will be answered and gold will be traced.
Natividade Fernandes, Cavelossim
Goa was better off as a Union Territory
On May 30, 1987 Goa attained Statehood. But after 35 years the debate still rages whether our Goa has benefited after becoming India’s 25th State. There has been nothing to cheer about having achieved Statehood. Goans now realise the trap they got into by craving for statehood. An illusion gone awfully sour. With statehood the common man has lost but only the politicians have had the last laugh.
As a Union territory, we were ably governed with 28 MLAs and a cabinet of just four. Today Goa is totally mismanaged with 40 MLAs and a jumbo cabinet of 12. Goans were promised the moon with Zero Tolerance to Corruption and Good Governance. But it has been only U turns and rampant corruption all the way. The cavalier manner in which the government has been heartlessly and mercilessly destroying Goa is a matter of great concern. It is distressing to see and be witness to the continuing widespread destruction and devastation of our land.
Our Goa is sadly by the day getting further disfigured and corroded beyond recognition. It should have been the endeavour of those in power to at least salvage and safeguard what remains. But unfortunately Goa is being defaced at an electrifying speed. Posterity will never forgive those politicians who for their selfish gains have dubiously allowed this irreparable damage and wreckage of what was once a beautiful Goa, the Paradise of the East. Now sorrowing lies our Goa.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
Access for persons
with disabilities
It is learnt that the State government has started working towards making 30 government buildings fully accessible for persons with disabilities (PwDs) under phase I as part of the Accessible India Campaign. Under Phase II of the project the State Social Welfare Department has reportedly decided to make the next 45 government buildings and a few beaches such as Calangute, Colva and Baga accessible for PwDs. This is a step in the right direction.
Easy accessibility benefits all members of society including persons with disabilities. Improving accessibility brings about increased quality of life, creates more independence and better social integration. It also leads to better health and can result in cost saving in a number of areas. For something to be accessible someone needs to be able to complete the task they are trying to achieve without encountering a barrier or any issue.
Accessibility does not mean just being able to easily enter and move about in a government building, it also means to aid those with visual and hearing impairment. This can be done by having Braille or raised lettering wherever possible. Have signboards that are large enough to read and placed where persons with disabilities can see them easily. Announcements, if any, need to be done over a public address system. Buildings need to mandatorily have elevators which should be in working condition at all times and have backup power supply.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Scarcity of coconut pluckers!
Our beloved Goa is famously known for its Tourism consisting of Beaches, Places of Worship, Portuguese Heritage/Architecture; Food & Drinks – Fish Curry, Kokam Juice, Cashew fenny, and last but certainly not the least the ever-present scenic beauty surrounded by lush green mountains mushrooming Mango, Cashew trees with Coconut trees seemingly spread everywhere throughout the state.
Essentially an important ingredient of Goan cuisine, coconut is used mostly in every type of Goan food – be it Fish Curry, or other delicacies, and how can I ever forget the coconut oil. We are too dependent on it; however, we seemingly lack enough manpower ‘coconut pluckers’ in the State. Searching for them is akin to finding a needle in a haystack.
Shaikh Imtiyaz, Margao
No tobacco day
Tobacco literally kills. To succeed in the war against cancer one has to win the all-important battle against tobacco. Annually, about eight million people succumb to the direct and synergistic effects of tobacco, and the number is by no means static. The World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is aimed at convincing smokers to kick the habit through awareness. Quitters are generally losers; not tobacco quitters; they always win.
Both chewed tobacco and smoked tobacco are dangerous to the body due to the toxic chemicals in them. The “passive smokers” who inhale smoke of others’ cigarette are, many times, unfortunate sufferers of smoking. Also, no age is exempt from the ill-effects of smoking. The myth that smoking certain number packs of beedi and cigarettes per day will lead to cancer should be eliminated. It is more often the duration of smoking that is the culprit though the number of cigarettes smoked per day cannot be discounted.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
